Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/D000211/1
Title:	'Directing traffic' - controlling the course of ring-forming reactions: New stereoselective cyclizations for target synthesis
Principal Investigator:	Procter, Professor DJ
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Manchester, The
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2005	Ends:	30 September 2008	Value (£):	112,602
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biological & Medicinal Chem. Chemical Synthetic Methodology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Many of Nature's most potent biological molecules have within their structure, a cyclic arrangement of atoms. Similarly, in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, cyclic structural motifs are present in compounds in development and on the market. In fact, cyclic organic molecules, whether they be carbocyclic or heterocyclic, play an important role in the many areas of academia and industry where organic molecules are prepared and/or utilized. The development of new methods for the construction of cyclic organic molecules in a controlled and selective manner is understandably a key area of synthetic chemistry.In this proposal we aim to build on recent discoveries from our laboratories which show that a single, non-cyclic starting material can be directed down a number of different cyclization pathways simply by changing the alcohol co-solvent added to a reaction flask containing the starting material and a lanthanide reagent, samarium iodide. These new cyclization reactions allow convenient access to structural motifs found in targets of biological significance that are not easily prepared using existing organic reactions.The cyclization of nitrogen-containing substrates will be developed as a route to nitrogen heterocycles and will also result in an asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino acids for use in biology. Finally, we will apply one of our new cyclization reactions in the total synthesis of a biologically active natural product called stolonidiol which is isolated from a Japanese soft coral and is in short supply. A more efficient synthesis of stolonidiol should allow more active analogues of the compound with greater therapeutic potential to be prepared.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.man.ac.uk